Re: The Deming Funnel Experiment - MS Word Document
There's something fundamental about this thought experiment that I'm not getting. I've thought about it for a while. Maybe someone can clear this up.
I am also confused about Rules 2 and 3, as one of the original repliers was. Because all of the wording for the Rules I've read has been so ambiguous, let me give my interpretation as to what the Rules are supposed to be (as I currently understand them):
To simplify, we'll treat this as a one-dimensional line with '0' being the goal.
Our goal is to hit a set target at position 0.
Rule 2: We drop the ball through the funnel, with the funnel being at position A. The ball winds up at a position B. We move the funnel in a direction to compensate for the movement from A to B, in relation to the funnel. The new funnel location would equal [A + (A-B)] In other words, every time we move the funnel, the funnel's new location becomes our new "target", which we are trying to hit with the next drop. Basically, we have forgotten all about our original target, if I am understanding this correctly. Let's say the funnel is at 0, the ball winds up at +2. We move the funnel to -2. We drop the ball and it winds up at -5 (moving 3 to the left). We move the funnel to +1.
Rule 3: We drop the ball through the funnel, with the funnel being at location A. The ball winds up at a position B. We move the funnel to compensate for the distance from B to the original target X (which is 0). The equation for the new funnel location would be: (X - B ) In other words, every time we drop a ball, we measure the distance from the ball to the target and compensate for that distance, not taking into account the funnel's last position at all.
Does this make sense?
If my understanding is correct, what I don't understand is why there isn't a Rule that would be to me the most logical (although obviously still not as effective as Rule 1):
We drop the ball through the funnel with the funnel at position A. The ball winds up at position B. We take the difference between A and B and compensate for that difference with regards to the target. In other words, the new funnel location = [X- (A-B)]
Maybe that is actually a rule and I'm not understanding that one of them is that rule. Any comments? I think my main confusion is the ambiguity with which I've seen the descriptions of the rules written.
I'm writing a computer-based training module about these things, that's why I'm trying to understand this concept very well, even though I know it's just a thought experiment to get a basic point across.